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Sports Beat: Timeout for a Cavalier conclusion

Published: Saturday, May 31, 2014 at 03:00 PM.

There will be no inside information forthcoming, premonitions or statistical derring-do.

Just a gut feeling that we are about to witness the end of the Miami Heat’s run.

This is not to predict there is another team that will deny the South Beach supermen a third straight NBA title. That may or may not happen, as these playoffs have taken on a grinder mentality that almost always pervades this time of year.

But if the Heat prevail, and as of this writing they’re at least odds-on favorites on a national scope, I’ve got a hunch it might be LeBron’s last year in Miami.

That he’ll, gulp, return to Cleveland for the next stage of his career.

Again, no hidden camerars or tilting gyroscopes, much less Ouija boards. Just two simple thoughts.

One: Unless there is something I’m not seeing, this Heat collaboration looks as though it’s just about drained the bottle dry.

There will be no inside information forthcoming, premonitions or statistical derring-do.

Just a gut feeling that we are about to witness the end of the Miami Heat’s run.

This is not to predict there is another team that will deny the South Beach supermen a third straight NBA title. That may or may not happen, as these playoffs have taken on a grinder mentality that almost always pervades this time of year.

But if the Heat prevail, and as of this writing they’re at least odds-on favorites on a national scope, I’ve got a hunch it might be LeBron’s last year in Miami.

That he’ll, gulp, return to Cleveland for the next stage of his career.

Again, no hidden camerars or tilting gyroscopes, much less Ouija boards. Just two simple thoughts.

One: Unless there is something I’m not seeing, this Heat collaboration looks as though it’s just about drained the bottle dry.

On a nightly basis, Miami almost always needs James to have a big game to succeed. Dwyane Wade remains a superstar, in spurts. Chris Bosh is a very good player — a lot of times. And the rest of the roster pretty much consists of spare parts accumulated from the NBA’s version of a yard sale.

No matter how protective his teammates are of Wade’s status, it appears that injuries have taken their toll and that he is on the downside of his prime. There are no guarantees Bosh is going to be a force in coming years.

LeBron James could stay on and continue throwing coal on the fire, or perhaps he might want to rejoin the nuclear age.

Two: The Cavaliers have been as relevant as Al Gore since James’ ugly divorce from the Cleveland fan base, but they have a budding star in point guard Kyrie Irving, who would at least eliminate one of the many responsibilities James is forced to assume in Miami.

Clevelandhas fell into three of the past four No. 1 overall picks in the NBA draft. Add another potential all-star with the first pick in this month’s draft, a new head coach of James’ preference, and he could start over as the foundation of another triangle of multi-talented players. And much younger ones. Add a couple yard sales, and the Cavs could be the new up-and-coming franchise for possibly the next four or five seasons.

Neither can it be denied that James would be going home if such a transaction took place. He has the ability to terminate his contract and hit the market as an unrestricted free agent.

It could be argued, pending the draft or possible trade of the No. 1 pick for another all-star caliber player such as Kevin Love, that the Cavs’ roster immediately would become at least as good if not better than the Heat minus James.

Some folks experience a bitter divorce, but never fall out of love and wind up getting remarried.

James’ focus is on winning championships, and he’s not about to fuel any speculation on his whereabouts next season. Who knows? He might want to end his career in Miami. Or go somewhere other than Cleveland.

Then again, he is a superstar who initially left for an opportunity to win titles. His legacy appears to be a motivating tool in at least in some of his decisions.

So, simply, why not the Cavs? Why not leave a roster that’s average age is 30.3 years for one that is 24.8 and has a chance to win almost immediately? Why not be remembered for creating two dynasties?

Move over Johnny Football. It could be time for the King and his Court, the sequel.